


Blessings and Forgiveness

by Lunarium



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Background Femslash, Christmas, Engagement, Japan, M/M, Older Characters, Post-Canon, Winter, minor character death (not shown)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: For years following the defeat of the Galra Empire, Keith and Shiro longed to visit Earth at least once. An opportunity arose, and with that, a chance for an old wound to heal.





	Blessings and Forgiveness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jomlette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jomlette/gifts).



Space offered them so much: vast wonders to forever keep them awed. And when they weren’t busy in aiding in the rebuilding of the many worlds, as it became their duty in the years after the war against the Galra Empire, a longing for Earth would come creeping back. 

A stroll through one planet in springtime would make them miss seeing the cherry blossoms, even if neither had grown up in Japan. A bitterly icy world brought back a longing for snow on Earth, which had never reached the same degree of terrible chills and temperatures. To revisit some of the northern cities during the winter holidays, the many lights and festive colors on every side with music wafting through the air as warm as the pies in the shops. Quite an invite compared to the dreary world they found themselves in one winter season, poring through legal documents on the reassigning of country lines and cities in the post-Galra rule society of the planet Niflheimr. 

One day, they promised themselves. One day they would return back to Earth. Be it a brief visit, a vacation, for whatever reason. But one day they would return. 

When they at last returned to Earth, it was for a very special mission.

*

Keith gave Shiro a comforting and encouraging smile as he took his hand.

“It’s going to be fine,” he said. 

Shiro’s smile flashed briefly. He rarely spoke about his family, but Keith knew just enough. Way more than the others in the team. And he guarded what he knew as much as all of Shiro’s other secrets. 

Snow hadn’t overtaken Japan yet. Trees decorated in festive lights lit their way to the apartment a little ways off from the main city. They didn’t stop much to look around. Call it nerves—Shiro’s nerves, mainly, who kept stealing glances towards their destination as if a great boulder might suddenly roll down the narrow street and run them over. 

“I seldom came here, but I was always told I would be welcome if I needed anything,” Shiro explained. “I lived with Grandpa most of my life, but we’ve visited Aunt Akane from time to time on special occasions.” 

Keith nodded. He knew the story. Shiro’s parents both served at the Garrison and so Shiro’s grandfather watched over him while his parents were away, which was often. He never said more about his parents, but Keith could surmise a few of the darker details. 

They located the apartment building, slipped inside, and mounted the elevator. 

“And this would be your father’s sister?” Keith asked as they reached the floor. Finding the apartment, Shiro rang the bell, and a portly middle-aged woman answered. Her arms immediately came came around Shiro, welcoming him. Soon enough the warm arms were around Keith before the two were ushered inside and offered to sit. 

Shiro smiled to Keith. “My father’s sister’s wife. Yuuna.” He turned towards her as Yuuna came back with a tray full of tea and other treats. “Where is Akane?” 

“Off on one of her strange paranormal-hunting road trips,” Yuuna said with a little chuckle. “It won’t be long before she’s back. I notified her you were visiting in case she didn’t receive your notice. I know she wouldn’t want to miss this. 

“Here, take some tea. You two must’ve had a long journey here.” 

“Yeah…” the two men shared a look at that statement. _If only she knew._

“Now what brings you here?” The smile was all too knowing. Perhaps it was just their body language that tipped her off; but it opened up that opportunity that let them comfortably hold hands before her. 

“We’ve decided to be together, _officially_ ,” Shiro said. “And I wanted Keith to meet my family before our wedding.” 

Yuuna smiled and applauded them. “That’s wonderful! I’m sure Akane will be pleased to hear this! She needs to hear this from you herself. And your father too.” 

The tension that followed came like the gust of chill straight out of Niflheimr. 

“Don’t mention him,” Shiro said tightly. 

As if not hearing him, Yuuna added, “And your grandfather, rest his soul, would have loved to know you had found someone. And Takara too if she were still here.” 

Shiro got up immediately. Yuuna and Keith’s gazes locked, and Yuuna’s eyes immediately filled with apology. Feeling a bit awkward, Keith got up and lightly brushed against Shiro’s hand. 

“Would you like to walk outside a bit?”

*

“I’m sorry for my earlier outburst there,” Shiro said as they passed by another shop.

Keith snorted. “You call that an outburst? Shiro…” He leaned into him. 

Shiro gave a brief smile. “It just…hurts. Takara was my mother. She and father both died while serving the Garrison. That’s what I had learned when I was young. Then I found out that my father survived and was trying to make a new life for himself: new name, new location, new everything. And he never bothered to contact me. When I found out, I must have been fourteen or something. I went to seek him out, and that was when I learned about the other woman he was seeing. I was so angry. I didn’t actually get to speak with him. I had just reached the doorway when I learned all this. I shouted terrible things through the open door, hoping he would hear me, and ran off. Since then I continued staying with Grandpa Ryou until he passed away.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Shiro shrugged his shoulders. “It wouldn’t have hurt so much if he hadn’t been avoiding me. I would have come to accept that he had found someone else. I couldn’t understand why he refused to contact me. Why he changed his name and went living somewhere else. I didn’t know if Grandpa knew and kept it a secret from me. By then I was so angry and hurt that I didn’t care what excuses he had.” 

“I’m sorry, really,” Keith said again and swept in for an embrace, not caring if anyone saw them. He gave Shiro’s cheek a quick peck. 

Shiro sighed and returned the embrace, burying his face in Keith’s hair. “It’s fine. It’s been so long ago now. I don’t like thinking about it, but it’s fine. While we’re here, should we get something for Akane and Yuuna? And something for you?” 

The shift in his voice held some mischief, and looking up, Keith saw why that was: Shiro had spotted among the ornaments on sale one that was a plump dazzling purple. It wore a little Santa’s hat and the most goofy smile. 

“Do I recall a video of yourself singing about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas when you were little?” Shiro asked, grinning. 

“Really? And I was feeling sorry for you earlier.” 

“Then why wasn’t it tossed out along with the rest of your father’s alien sighting films?” Shiro asked. “And why did you feel the need to show it to me as a sign of our growing friendship many years ago?” 

“Shiro, I’m warning you…” 

The little hippo was plucked off the display. It sat in Shiro’s palm as he showed it to Keith, who huffed for a moment, refusing to look at it, before the temptation grew too great. 

“It’s cute,” Keith finally confessed. 

Shiro laughed. “That’s one gift down.”

*

They returned to Akane and Yuuna’s apartment in much higher spirits. After finishing their tea and a chat with Yuuna that went by far smoother and without the earlier tension, the two men fell asleep as their travels finally caught up to them.

Keith awoke to another person entering the apartment. Shiro stirred beside him, smiled up at her, and greeted Akane. Upon first sight Keith thought it was love at first sight: a thin tall woman sporting a short spiky haircut with the tips dyed in streaks of violet and red; she was nothing like her gentle wife. Taking note of her leather jacket, Keith wormed his way out from under Shiro’s arms and craned his neck over the window, hoping to glimpse Akane’s motorcycle or hovercraft. 

She tossed her canvas messenger bag before regarding them. “Merry Christmas, space warriors! Yuuna’s told me a lot about your exploits outside of their hemisphere. I see you two got busy in the city. Thank you for the gift. I hope it’s just as weird as the one you got me the year before you blasted off to Kerberos, Shiro!” 

Shiro smiled. He had previously informed Keith that it had been a phone case with a raised foam cat that could be squished and poked, something that would occupy Akane when she needed something to fiddle with. Finding something equally as odd and Akane-appropriate was a fun adventure in itself.

“So, you two getting married?” Her lips perked mischievously. “Travelled to the ends of the universe but found that true love was right beside you the whole time?” 

With sleep having long left them, they turned to chatting it up with Akane for a bit, asking questions about what sort of odd adventure of her own she’d been having. Keith was surprised to find her dodging questions or talking her way around them the more they spoke, getting more guarded than when they had first began. Quite unlike the woman they had met early on. 

Keith tried to gain Shiro’s gaze, but he appeared just as bothered, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips drawn into a frown. She was hiding something from them. 

Finally, Akane drew in a sigh. 

“Here. You need to know this,” she said and produced an envelope from her leather jacket. She placed it in front of Shiro. “Yuuna and I weren’t the only ones who knew about you coming here. Your father wishes to see you, Shiro.” 

Keith felt Shiro’s body tense all over. “I don’t…” 

“Please. Yuuna wasn’t sure how to bring it up to you, but maybe listening to Little Sis might help.” She rummaged through the canvas bag and pulled out a couple manilla folders. She placed them next to the envelope.

“You never knew the full truth. Never asked. And now…” She reached over and took Shiro’s right hand. She didn’t flinch at the coldness of his metal hand; instead, she let her hand linger in his before pulling up his sleeve. “How far does this go?” 

“Er, up to my shoulder,” Shiro answered. 

She nodded and opened the first file, pulling out some photos. “You’ll find there’s some similarities between yourself and your father.” 

Keith and Shiro both gasped. Going by the photos, the injuries Shiro had taken to his body were nothing compared to his father. The entire right side of the man, so much like Shiro, so handsome yet gloom-faced, had been seemingly burned and replaced by cybernetic technology. 

“Now you understand why he was distant from you?” Akane said. “He didn’t mean to hurt you. It all happened when you were so young. He didn’t want to scare you, especially not after your mother…not after poor Takara couldn’t be saved.” 

Keith studied the photos for the longest while, taking in the story as Shiro had told him and piecing it together with what Akane had said. He turned back and could see the years of resentment slowly ebb away in Shiro’s eyes. 

“That woman I saw?” he asked. “I ran away to see him when I found out and when I reached the front door I—” 

“I know about that; I’m his sister, remember.” 

“Who was she?” 

“She kept him alive. And if there’s anything more between them now…well, it is none of my business. I loved Takara, but in life one may love many. And I think I can hear Yuuna calling me.” With that she ran off to the kitchen. 

“I would not mind meeting him, if you decide to,” Keith said in a low voice. 

Shiro took the envelope addressed to him. He traced the poor handwriting and smiled sadly. 

“My handwriting never was the same after I lost my hand,” he said softly. He tore off the top and slid the letter out. His face softened, and his eyes misted with tears. Keith leaned closer and placed his head on Shiro’s shoulder. 

Shiro’s hand covered Keith’s. 

“After we leave here,” Shiro said. “Would you like to accompany me to meet my father? He wishes to give us his blessing.” 

Keith nodded. “I’d love to meet your entire family, Shiro.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! There are a few headcanons regarding Shiro and his family that I have, especially about the nature of his father. That recent headcanon from Josh Keaton only ignited more interest in Shiro's family, so I'd like to explore that some more in the future until canon gives us more details. :)


End file.
